(2 days earlier) 14 days to Twiligeddon...

Twilight blinked slowly into consciousness, the rays of sun filtering through the window, illuminating lazy specs of dust as they floated aimlessly across her vision. Birds chirped happily outside, and she could hear the telltale signs of movement downstairs.

“Probably Spike making breakfast.” She yawned, and blinked again in a vain attempt to clear the sleep from her eyes. ”My throat hurts, I hope I'm not getting a cold.” She went to turn, but her foreleg was weighted down by something… warm. Whatever weighed down her foreleg squirmed slightly. Twilight's heart caught in her throat and froze her blood.

...somepony is in bed with me! She drew in a deep breath and held it.

Twilight filed through last nights events at a dizzying pace. I just came home after the hospital and went straight to bed. So who...

Quickly, her mind churned to take in every possible detail through feel since her eyes snapped shut and refused to confirm it. I am definitely using somepony's foreleg as a pillow. The other foreleg is hugging me across the chest. She swallowed hard, her throat sticking defiantly to itself to add to her misery as she continued the analysis.

Her ear twitched in impulsive response to a mild warm breeze tickling her fur. S-s-s-somepony's breathing into my ear... Twilight's leg twitched as she felt the invasive 'somepony's' leg rub over and entwine with hers. Twilight shifted reflexively, attempting to move her legs away but found only futility. My legs are bound!! I'm tied up!

A shiver ran through her body triggering a cold sweat. Her eyes refused to open, the breath still catching in her throat. Something moved between her legs at the foot of the bed, it let out an irritated groan and flipped over, getting way too snuggly with Twilight's inner thigh for her comfort.

EEP! What's going on? Her eyes refused to open, she gritted her teeth, sucking in slow methodical breaths. Her heart sank as she tried to move her forelegs. Silently she fought a losing battle to squeeze her hooves out of the ropes. Her breathing heightened to near hyperventilation. Tears streamed down her cheeks. This is just a nightmare. I am probably asleep, and this isn't real! Probably... She shuddered as somepony off to the side of the bed shifted and yawned. Three of them! If I could just… open my eyes I could magically untie myself!

Haltingly she forced her eyelids open. A pink blurry patch of hair at the top of her vision caught her attention immediately. Pink fluffy hair? Her head snapped to the side as she struggled against her restraints to see her snuggle captor more clearly.

“Pinkie? I should have known! This reeks of a bad prank.” She craned her neck to see who was at the bottom of the bed. Laying across her legs, and Pinkie's, was a very uncomfortable looking but soundly asleep…

“Applejack?” Her eyes snapped to the side of her bed. Instead of the floor her eyes met Fluttershy's startled gaze.

Fluttershy was laying on a cloud staring back with a frowny pout topped with concerned puppy eyes. "How are you feeling?" She whispered.

Twilight's jaw refused to work properly as it floated freely of it's own accord, ignoring her pleas for it scream any number of possible questions and demands.

Fluttershy whimpered, a tear in her eye. "Oh you poor girl. You must be starving..." She reached down and produced a small bag, producing a muffin out of it. "Ditzy Doo was very worried about you. She stopped by last night with some muffins after everypony went home."

"What?" Twilight's voice came out cracked. Her throat dry and raw. "Water… please..."

"Oh, of course." Fluttershy reached down and produced a small glass. She squeezed some of the cloud for water, then propped Twilight's head up, and helped her as she downed half the glass. "I thought you might be thirsty after all that screaming. You shouldn't talk anymore ok. I will try to keep you comfortable."

"Untie me..."

"Oh, that may not be such a good idea, please don't be mad. You were really spooked last night. Everypony was afraid you would hurt yourself." Fluttershy rubbed the back of her hoof across Twilight's forehead. "You are still running a fever." She reached above Twilight's head and produced a small towel. "It must have fallen off while you were asleep." She broke off a piece of the cloud she was using for a bed, and wrapped it in the towel. She spun it around in the air. "There we go. Nice, wet, and cold." She folded it, and laid it across twilight's forehead. "How's that?"

"Uhm… surprisingly better." Twilight breathed out hoarsely. She looked at the binding holding her hoof to the bedpost. She formed a quick spell in her mind, but pain shot through her skull, swirled around, and radiated up her horn where it sat and throbbed viciously. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut and gasped. Fluttershy squeezed her shoulder in worry.

"You poor dear." Rarity whispered from the doorway, a bag with the Sugarcube Corner logo on it dangled in a purple aura next to her. "It hurts that much just trying to untie a knot?"

Twilight gasped as Rarity came around to the bedside behind Pinkie. "Rari-" Her voice cracked and cut off her words. She lowered it to a barely audible whisper. "Your eye? It's purple!”

Rarity looked away. "Oh, dear, it's really not that bad. The bruise will go away in a day or two. Don't worry about that. You just focus on getting better." Her look softened as she laid a hoof on Twilight's. "Okay? We all need you to get better sweetheart." Her voice fell somber as she untied Twilight's hoof. Fluttershy followed suite, obediently untying her other hoof.

Twilight laid back and pulled her forelegs to her chest, leaving Pinkies head to flop to the bed, effectively jarring her awake. However, Pinkie stared on in uncharacteristic silence, watching Twilight intently. Twilight worked feeling back into her tingling limbs. "What's wrong with me?" She whispered carefully.

Applejack, having slowly come to, stretched out at the bottom of the bed, sitting up unsteadily on her forelegs. "Ya'll sleep well?"

"As well as any of us could I'm sure, dear. For now, though, our esteemed guest has arrived, and is awaiting a full report on the uhm-" Rarity's eyes darted to Twilight, and back to Applejack. “-situation." Rarity motioned to the lower bedposts. "Be a dear and untie Twilight's legs would you?"

Applejack nodded with a yawn. "As long as she doesn't go trying to buck me off the railing again..."

"Applejack!" Rarity scolded.

"I hurt you?" Twilight indicated Applejack, frustratingly unable to form anything past a rudimentary sentence.

"Nah, not really. I used to get way more banged up than that just horsin' around with my big brother." Applejack threw her slightly sleep tempered 'Apple fresh' grin at Twilight.

Then on second thought Twilight hoofed at Rarity's bruised eye. "I… that?" Her voice cut out to a whisper of air mid sentence.

Rarity pursed her lips. "Oh don’t mind this, really it’s nothing you did per se’.”

Applejack snickered. “Rarity was the first one here. When we all arrived she was trying to calm ya down by brushing your mane.”

“Applejack! I was not simply just brushing...” Rarity grunted in frustration and turned to Twilight. “I happened to notice that your mane was in dire need of some tender loving care, and I thought that it would be soothing for you.” She rolled a hoof in the air to downplay her words. “However, I may have been mistaken, and I may have over reacted a little teensy bit when you took the brush and threatened to prove that you weren’t crazy by brushing my mane in return.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “She panicked and tripped over her own two hooves face first into the door trying to get away.”

Rarity rolled her eyes, throwing Applejacks attitude right back at her. “One does not simply brush a mane in just any state of mind! A pony needs to be calm and poised. The mane will reflect the attitude and state of mind of the pony doing the brushing. So, save your apologies, my dear Twilight." She looked off to the side. "I’m sure you will need them soon enough, and now is not the time to be discussing mane styling methods.”

“Ahm pretty sure we weren’t…” Applejack deadpanned.

Rarity ignored her. “Just relax. You’ve been far too stressed lately."

"Yep! Relaxation is exactly what you need. So, since you are all untied now, I'm going to make double sure you lay here and relax." Pinkie, suddenly announcing her awakeness and wrapped tight around Twilight's mid. Her legs wrapped around one of Twilight's thighs for good measure.

"Pinkie… personal space." Twilight whispered, her brow furrowed pleadingly. Fluttershy rewett the towel and dabbed it gingerly around Twilight's horn.

Pinkie backed off a little. "Well, if you look at me like that." She pouted. "I guess you don't look like you're going to flip out again. So... okay." She unwrapped her captive. "It was my job to hold you down last night." The smile disappeared in Pinkies eyes. "It really wasn't all that fun." She lurched forward, and wrapped around Twilight's neck. "We were so scared, but I knew you'd pull through! What happened Twilight?"

Twilight struggled to breath under the sudden Pinkie hug assault. "Don't know… want to know." She grated out in a strained grunt. "Ow."

"Pinkie! Release her this instant!" Rarity scolded.

"Uhm, Pinkie Pie, that's really not good for her fever. Please, be more gentle with Twilight in this condition." Fluttershy scolded Pinkie softly.

Twilight gasped as Pinkie relinquished hold on her right to breath. "Thank you Pinkie." She ran a conciliatory hoof over Pinkie's shoulder. "You..."

“Say no more!” Twilight was cut off by Pinkies tempered excitement and a hoof to the mouth. "You’re welcome, Twilight. Whenever you go nuts, just give me a scream! I’ll come running for sure! Now, Rarity brought honey filled pastries! Mrs. Cake makes them special just for sore throats, and after all the screaming you did last night, we figured your throat was going to hurt. I know, I've screamed for two hours straight before. Well..." She hoofed her chin in thought. "Not screams of insanity, but yelling over a really loud party counts, and I bet screams of terror hurt way worse anyway."

"Terfer? Infanity?" Twilight muffled the question around Pinkies hoof.

Applejack slid off the bed and stretched her back. "Yeah, terror's a good way to put it. You were spooked somethin' fierce. Thought you'd seen a ghost or..." Applejack stopped as everypony in the room snapped their attention to Twilight. The unasked question hanging in the air.

Twilight shook her head, gently pushing Pinkies hoof away. "No Star Swirl yet. I’ve been too tired..." Twilight winced as her voice cracked mercilessly. Rarity hoofed over a honey pastry, which was accepted and woofed graciously. Fluttershy smiled, and began relishing the surplus muffin that was waiting patiently in her hooves.

Twilight delighted in the soothing feel of the honey as it mercifully coated the burning raw of her throat. "Feels so much better." She whispered smoothly. "I can talk a little. What happened, exactly, last night?"

Spike stirred in the doorway and plodded over to his bed. Applejack began to speak, but was cut off by a green claw. "Please, Applejack, would you mind if I tell her?"

"Ahm not sure that's the best idea Spike. You were..." The look in Spikes eyes was haunted and sad brooking no argument from the farm pony. Applejack consented with a solemn nod.

"First of all, you went completely nuts last night screaming about voices that wouldn't get out of your head. Then, you started attacking anypony who came close to you. And you nearly crippled yourself falling down the stairs." Spike was relentless in laying down the facts.

Applejack stared uncomfortably at the floor, feeling guilty about being grateful Spike had stepped up, and saved her the pain of saying it herself.

Fluttershy hid behind the pretense of nomming her muffin, fighting back tears as she remembered the saddening memories of being terrified of her friend.

Pinkie, breaking personal space hugged Twilight gently, mentally preparing to hold her down lest she freak out again as she stroked her mane soothingly.

Rarity simply watched, taking in everypony's reactions. Especially Twilight's.

Spike pulled out a scroll from under his pillow. It was crinkled, and rolled up. One edge had been chewed rough from his sleepful fretting. Celestia's royal seal was still attached to one half of the parchment. He walked over and jumped up onto the foot of Twilight's bed.

"I panicked, Twilight. I didn't know what else to do. So I contacted Princess Celestia."

Twilight tensed, a look of unbridled horror crinkling her nose, her eyes wide in shock. Her friends braced themselves.

Applejack moved closer to the foot of the bed. Pinkies grip tightened slightly. Rarity moved out of Twilight's vision, a very light aura enveloping her horn in preparation as the ropes slithered back into place near the bedposts. Just in case. Fluttershy nommed on in sadness, hiding behind her mane as tears pattered the cloud.

Twilight stared at the scroll. Any number of nightmares could be written on that parchment. Twilight's heart doubled it's beat. Absently she noted Fluttershy rewetting the towel across her forehead, Pinkie's whispered 'it's all gonna be okay' in her ear, and the telltale tingle of magic in her presence as Rarity failed to covertly situate the ropes.

It's bad, oh Celestia is it bad. Applejack just lost two shades of color... She held up a hoof prompting Spike to halt. Twilight had a question. A dire one that needed to be answered… Now!

Earlier that morning, at the castle...

Princess Celestia lay curled up in her bed snoring softly. The previous day had been overly taxing, literally. It was tax season and as per the usual every city and province were complaining, and whining relentlessly. Each one demanding to pay less taxes and receive more financial backing for every imaginable project from the mundane to the ridiculous. Celestia twitched in her sleep. Changeling excursions were up -twitch- crime rate had increased along the east coast -twitch- the Crystal Empire had a despairing food shortage which pushed the Equestrian disaster relief to its limits -twitch- and to top it all off resources were strained even further providing disaster relief for the Rainbow Calamity victims. Another twitch, followed by a dainty growl. "Rainbow Dash… strangle you … careless… Donnybrook… bad girls… rainboom… idiots." She mumbled in her sleep.

A lite breeze wafted in through the open window, swirled around, and in a flash of green fire it exploded before the princess' face. "Eeyahh!" Celestia sat up, her wings flapping frantically to gain her hooves purchase on slippery silk on silk bed sheets. Luckily her hooves found a good balance using her many years of surprise wakeups as reference. Unluckily, she had chosen to wear her fuzzy pink silk bunny socks to bed. While two layers of silk can be manageable, three layers of silk is a godmode challenge. One Celestia was forced into accepting with shocked irritation as her hindhooves slid forward, her butt bounced on the bed, and the springy mattress sent her flying off like some insurgent trampoline intent on a suicide coup. Celestia pitched forward in a flurry of flaps as she landed gracefully on her face, flank in the air.

Her butt fell to the side, and landed on floor level next to her just as the door to her chamber swung open, and the most unlucky guard in all Equestria burst concernedly in. "Princess! Is everything alright!?"

Celestia was not amused...

"Spike..." Twilight began her question a little louder than she should have, straining her voice to its current limits. "...what time did you send this letter to Princess Celestia?"

Spike froze, frowned, and his eyes darted off to the side. "I uh… about two a.m." Spike gulped.

Twilight face hoofed. "Oh Spike, what have you done?" She took in a halting breath. "The princess is going to kill us! You never wake her in the middle of the night, and it's tax season! She's going to be stressed out of her mind..." Twilight trailed off.

Rarity moved to speak, but Twilight shushed her with a hoof. "No… don't say anything. Nopony says anything. Just read it, Spike." Twilight breathed in methodically, her eyes wide and unblinking. "I have to concentrate. Every word could have double meanings." Spike hesitated. "Do it..." She commanded, her voice haunted and hoarse.

The look in Celestia's eyes froze the guard's hooves to the floor. It's the other side of Celestia!! He thought. The one I've only heard horror stories of! The side that could end worlds! The side that sent Luna to the moon for a thousand years, and froze Discord mercilessly in stone!

Celestia stood gracefully, her cold gaze never wavering from the young stallions. Her horn glowed softly, having cast a reactionary spell to a stallion entering her room, she was reading every word of his internal voice.

"The side that's going to plant your plot on the sun if you don't get out of my bed chambers!" She finished his thoughts. "And you're lucky none of your thoughts were inappropriate." Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

The stallion's eyes reflexively glanced over at Celestia's flank. He forced them back to her eye's and then with a squeak anywhere else but Celestia. Mercilessly they came to alight upon the bunny socks. Shut up brain, shut up brain, don't think, don't think! Oh, but she's got an amazing flank… adorable in those pink bunny socks… damnit!

His armor clanked as he bounced off the door in a mad spin to exit the room. He skidded to a halt just outside the door in a failed attempt to turn, letting out a half whimpered cry of defeat as his hoof barely missed the door handle. He cursed the polished wax beneath his hooves as he scrambled for traction. After a long agonizing string of seconds he came within centimeters of the door handle, which sprung to life in a frilly pink aura. Realizing his predicament too late, the door slammed shut in his face, sending him sprawling across the hallway. He came to a jerky halt a good fifteen legspans away.

He panted, thankful to be alive. The other guard standing next to Celestia's door snickered into a hoof. Four more guards appeared out of the woodwork as they rounded various corners. They all took in the scene before them as the poor unfortunate guard picked himself up shakily, his teeth chattering in his head.

The four hall guards converged on the two door guards, one of them voicing everypony's thoughts. "What happened?"

The veteran door guard hoofed over at the shaking victim. "Newbie. Went into the Princesses' room after hearing a noise."

The four hall guards snickered mercilessly and clopped him on the back. "Don't worry kid, happens to all of us at least once." One consoled halfheartedly.

The vet nodded knowingly. "Good lesson. You can hammer it further into your skull as you re-wax the mess you made of the hall." He hoofed at the scratches that trailed from the newbies hooves to a mess of chaos in front of Celestia's door.

The newbies shoulders slumped with a sigh. "Right, I'm on it." The other guards jostled him around playfully, but quietly as he smiled back, the fear of death ebbing from his limbs. "She looked amazing in those pink bunny socks..." He whispered half to himself, only to look up a moment later, and realize the other guards were staring at him, lips curled with a jealous glint in their eyes. The fear of death re-crept it's way back into his limbs...

Totally worth it!

"Get back to work!" Celestia screamed through the door in her Canterlot voice, sending the guards scrambling frantically over each other to get back to their posts.

Celestia snickered. “Oh, it's so fun to tease the guards.” With a deep breath she placed her hoof on her chest, and huffed out her frustrations with a thrust of her leg.

“Hmm... Twilight sent me a message-” She glanced at the moon, “-at two in the morning it looks like.” Her eye twitched. She took another deep breath, and picked up the scroll. “I'm certain it's important. Twilight knows better than to wake me at this hour. Equestria must be coming to an end.” She smiled twitchily as she opened the unsealed letter. “At least it better be.”

She began to read.

PRINCESS! COME QUICK! TWILIGHT'S GONE INSANE, IS ATTACKING PONIES, AND SCREAMING ABOUT VOICES IN HER HEAD! - Love Spike

Celestia looked up from the hastily scrawled words, her face devoid of emotion. She read the letter again. -Twitch- She glanced over at her desk, summoning a quill, and some parchment to her.

Dearest Spike,

Please inform Princess Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student, that she is now entering the next phase of her latest test. Concerning the dangerous nature of this test where her greatest adversary will be herself, I will be presiding personally over her progress.
However, in the meantime, I will be declaring Princess Twilight Sparkle to be an official danger to Equestria until I have ascertained that any and all threats of her being taken over by her magic, and possibly going rogue, have been nullified.
Expect my arrival in Ponyville by afternoon. Also, when Twilight comes back to her senses, please inform her that I explicitly warned her to 'read alone.' She will understand the meaning of those words and why I am disappointed she failed to take them seriously.

With Love,
Princess Celestia

Twilight's pupils shrank to pinpoints. Pinkie held on for dear life, waiting for a fit. Applejack grabbed Twilight's legs as Rarity and Fluttershy each grabbed a foreleg.

Everypony held their breath nervously waiting until Fluttershy observed. "I think she fainted..."

Pinkie waved a hoof in front of Twilight's eyes. "...with her eyes open."

Applejack cringed. "This is bad..."

Rarity sighed. "...and a little creepy." She reached over, and gently shut Twilight's eyelids. "I will be downstairs, informing our guests that Twilight has yet to wake."

Celestia smiled as she sent the scroll whisking away on the night time breeze. “Perfect timing, Twilight! I could use a vacation, and stopping a princess from going rogue is the best excuse ever!”

Celestia flung the doors to her room open and nearly bounced past the terrified guards.

"Guards, one of you are to courier some dire and secret information for me." She turned to the veteran guard, smiling happily. "You, inform the ministers that we are in a state of emergency, and I am officially on a mission to save Equestria. Also, they will need to handle all my affairs while I am away. Understood?"

The vet snapped a wooden salute. "Yes Princess!" He turned, but faltered. "Uhm... are they to start work now princess?" He looked up at the stars.

Celestia grinned. "Oh yes. If I am to be up at two a.m. saving the world, then it would be wise for them to begin working on my heavy workload immediately before it becomes too overwhelming." Her lips spread in a grin. "Make sure they understand I will not tolerate any slacking."

The vet snapped a second wooden salute. "Yes Princess! It will be done!" He bolted down the hall at full sprint.

Celestia turned to the newbie, and grinned. "Why hello there." The guard stood at attention, quivering slightly, sweat already beading up on his brow, feeling like a clown fish before a great white shark. Celestia stepped closer, meeting him eye to eye. She could feel him shrinking inside. "Are my socks really that cute?"

"Yes, Princess!" The sweat started dripping down his cheeks as he fought the urge to run.

"Good answer. What's your name?" She asked in a honeyed voice. “You aren’t one of my regular guards.” She gasped, looking from side to side in mock worry. “Oh my! You aren’t a spy are you?”

“Nononon!” The guards legs nearly gave out as he scrambled to snap a panicked salute.

He immediately calmed however as Celestia began giggling. “Well now that is established, your name?” She prompted with a smile and curious turn of her head.

The guard stopped quivering and frowned. His eyes narrowed as he looked off to the side. Don't make me say it! He gulped and grinned nervously as he noticed Celestia's ears shoot forward in interest. Aww… crap, can't get out of it now!

Celestia giggled. "What ever gave you the impression you could?"

I'm being teased. The guard deadpanned mentally as he noticed her horn was glowing again.

"Yes you are." Celestia grinned giddily.

Well, over the ledge I go. "My name is Flour Peddle, Princess."

Celestia's eyes widened. If not for her years of self control, the laughter rolling up her throat would have overcome her. "Just to be clear. You're my royal guard, lieutenant Flower Petal? Am I correct, my little pony?"

"Ye-yes, Princess." His voice faltered. He felt a piece of his ego die inside after so many years of callousness built up from the incessant teasing his name garnered. "Flour, as in baking flour, and Peddle as in peddling wares. My father was a good sales pony, and I took his last name. My mother was an outstanding baker. I was named Flour for my white coat, mane, and tail. My eyes are also off white."

And I am pretty sure my mother wanted a filly. Considering the staggering colt to filly ratio in our world, I can only imagine her crushing disappointment.

Celestia's knees nearly buckled from the effort it took to hold her laughter in check. She made a scene of sizing him up, grateful he hadn't caught his last thought. Oh, I would have lost it if he had!

"But, your mane and tale are three tones of blue?" Celestia pursed her lips as if in thought, but really it was a desperate attempt to stave off the overwhelming urge of laughter that was threatening to destroy her perfect regal demeanor.

"Ah, yes princess. I dye them." He looked down sheepishly. After my idol Shining Armor!

Celestia looked away, and bit her lip. She regained her composure quickly, and glanced at his cutie mark. "Two crossed kitchen knives over a pink donut? Aren't you a bit out of your element here?"

Flour stammered. "I am… an excellent cook if my mark indicates correctly… b-but I didn't want that life anymore, and my exceptional skill with throwing knives landed me a position as a hall guard." He looked down the hall. "Seeing as I can hoof throw a knife one hundred paces and hit a target dead center. I used to practice on donuts back home." He grinned, hoping the onslaught of questions would end as Celestia perused the belts of knives strapped around his legs, neck, and mid.

A guard, personal cook, and lively entertainment. How deliciously interesting. She pawed at the tile in thought. The guard sweated patiently.

Without warning she barked at him. "You-" Flour jumped, visibly quivering again. Celestia's eyes narrowed above a devious grin, "-you're coming with me."

Twilight's eyes fluttered open. She layed on her side staring at the wall of her room. Ambient lighting filtered in from her windows. It was warm, too warm to be morning anymore. She yawned. Her mouth and throat felt sticky. She scratched around her hooves, fighting off a mild itch.

"Wow, what a nightmare." She rubbed her temples.

"Aww… Twilight are you having bad dreams again?"

Twilight froze, her mane frizzing out chaotically. Her hackles arched, following the chill that ran up her spine, and exploded in her head leaving behind a dizzy fuzz over her thoughts. "Princess Celestia?"

Celestia laid next to her pupil, yawning off the last bits of sleep. "Sorry, Twilight, I was really tired after arriving, and you don't have a guest bed. It's awfully noisy with everypony downstairs so the couch was out of the question. So I thought I would sneak in here while you were still asleep." Celestia conjured her favorite hairbrush.

Twilight's jaw attempted to form words, but there were just too many clamoring for precedence. An assault of overwhelming emotions rose up through her. Her teeth clamped shut as her lips pulled back under a crinkled muzzle.

I won't cry!

Her gut roiled in agonizing nervous embarrassment. Her head pounded with a myriad of self critical judgements, each one harsher than the last.

I won't cry!

"I knew it was because of the spell." She squeaked out. Celestia’s brush glided through Twilight’s hair, taming the frizzies.

I won't cry!

"I knew it was because I didn't listen to your warning." The brush moved smoothly, gently. "I don't know what's wrong or how it affected me yet, but I absorbed some raw emotion's from Rainbow Dash. I know they aren't mine, but I can't control them yet!"

Don't cry!

Brush, brush, brush. Celestia hummed softly.

"I am so sorry for letting you down like this..." Twilight trailed off as the anxiety squeezed her chest mercilessly, forcing her into halting jerky exhales.

Don't cry! Please!

"And I hurt my friends." Her voice squeaked out her shame as she clamped down on her tongue to fight off the torrent of tears building pressure behind her eyes.

I don't wanna cry! I'm too old for this!

Twilight could feel the workings of Celestia's magic permeate the room. "I'm soo sorry… I let the Rainbow Calamity happen..." She sniffled, her body jittering with the effort of fighting off the sobs that demanded release.

Oh, no...I'm going to cry!

"So many ponies got hurt." She bit her lip, her self control slipping.

Celestia wrapped a foreleg around Twilight, turning her gingerly over, and pulled her tight into a hug. "I put up a sound barrier."

Twilight fought the sobs further, letting out a squeaked. "I know. Thank you."

"So, what is holding you back?"

"I don't want to disappoint you. I'm a princess now, and I have to be strong." She buried her muzzle in Celestia’s chest.

Celestia chuckled softly, and nuzzled Twilight's mane. "Silly filly. Under all the pretense, and glamour, past the titles and politics..." She took a deep breath, recalling the words she had locked in her heart.

"You are my sha-dows Light, war-ming this heart of mine. When I set the sun to-night..." She pulled Twilight tighter, feeling the tears as they matted her fur. "... fear not cree-ping sha-dows, with you my wings will shine. I’ll hold you through your fright..." Twilight sobbed softly. "...flo-wing pur-ple inter-twines, in-fin-ite hor-i-zons, painted love of my Light. Curling un-der my wing, bringing hap-pi-er dreams, forever my pre-cious Twi-light..."

Mercifully, nopony heard the piercing wales of the Ponyville Princess. Save one, the Princess of the Sun, holding her dearest little Light.